Heater for vehicles



(No Model.) v

T. H. C. BEALL.

i HEATER PoR VEHICLES.' l No. 554,106. Patented Feb. 4, 1896.

UNITED STATES PATENTv OFFICE.

THOMAS H. C. BEALL, OF OIOERO, INDIANA.

H'EATER FOR VEHICLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 554,106, dated February 4, 1896.

Application led May 28, 1895. Serial No. 550,95 7. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS H. O. BEALL, a citizenA of the United States, residing at Cicero, in the county of Hamilton and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in l-Ieaters for Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my said invention is to provide a convenient and efficient means whereby occupants of vehicles maybe continuously and uniformly kept warm, said invention being designed to supersede what are ordinarily denominated foot-warmers.

This invention consists in a specially designed and constructed receptacle, secured below the iioor of the vehicle, and containing a heater also specially designed and constructed for the purpose, all as will be hereinafter more particularly described and claimed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which are made a part hereof, and on which similar letters of reference indicate similar parts, Figure 1 is aperspective view of a vehicle provided with a heater embodying my said invention; Fig. 2, a detail vertical sectional view through the heater and the immediatelyadjacent portions of the iioor of the vehicle on the dotted lines 2 2 in Figs. 3 and l; Fig. 3, a horizontal sectional view looking downwardly from the dotted line 3 3 in Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 a horizontal sectional view looking downwardly from the dotted line 4 4 in Fig. 2.

In said drawings the portions marked A represent the vehicle structure, particularly the floor thereof; B, the receptacle for or outer casing of my improved heater; C, the heater proper; D, a spring-catch or springcatches by which said heater or lamp is held firmly to its seat; E, a flue leading upwardly from the heater by which the products of combustion are guided in operation, and F spring-catches by which the flue and its deiiecting-plate are held in place.

The vehicle itself may be of any ordinary or desired construction and needs no special description. It may, of course, be either a wheeled vehicle, as shown, or a sleigh or other vehicle on runners. It may be provided with one or more of my improved heaters, as may be desired. One will usually be found sufficient; but some .may prefer two smaller ones, one at or near each side of the vehicle. The floor A is cut away at the point where the heater is attached underneath and a door A provided, which, as shown in Fig. 2, is preferably hinged at one side, as at a., and contains numerous small perforations through which the heat may pass up into the portion of the vehicle occupied by the persons riding therein. Such persons being commonly coveredwith robes or blankets, the space in which are their lower extremities is thus -'inclosed, and, as the heat is discharged directly into this space, they are thus kept warm and comfortable even in the coldest and most inclement weather. The heater being constantly in operation, the warmth is caused to be continuously the same, instead of, as with ordinary foot-warmers', being dissipated in a short time.

The receptacle or casing Bis usually formed of sheet metal, preferably substantially in the form shown in Fig. 2, although, of course, the form may be changed, if desired,'and is secured to the under side of the floor A of the vehicle by screws, rivets, or otherwise and contains the heating apparatus. Its lower end is open to receive the body of the heater proper, C, as shown. This permits the lower side of said heater to project out into the open air, and it is thus itself kept cool, and danger of overheating. the oil therein is thus avoided. The extreme lower edge of the casing B terminates in a flange b, upon which a corresponding flange c on the body of the heater O will rest, as shown.

The heater proper, C, is in the form, generally speaking, of a metal lamp, having a burner on its upper side similar to a common form of lamp, and is adapted to use oil for a fuel. As above stated, it is preferably provided with a surrounding iiange c, which rests upon the flange b in the bottom of the casing B, and t-hus said heater or lamp is rmly supported, being inserted into the casing from the top after raising the door A. This heater or lamp is intended to be quite capacious, so as to contain a quantity of oil sufficient to last for several hours, or during any ordinary single use of the vehicle.

The spring D is preferably a double spring,

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as shown, although two single springs might be used, it' desired, or a dii'lierentmform substituted. It preferably formed of wire and hinged, at d, at one side, and adapted to engage with projections b on the inner surface of the casing B at the other. It is so proportioned and arranged as to bear forcibly on the top of the body of the heater proper, C, and thus hold it firmly into place. Being preferably round it will spring in either direction and thus may spring sidewise to pass below the projections b as well as downwardly.

The flue E is in itself generally formed similar to a lamp-chimney (as the heater C is in itself generally formed similar to a lamp) and occupies the same relation to said heater as a chimney does to a lamp. It is, however, constructed of sheetmetal, and has a plate E of considerable diameter secured to its upper end, with radial perforations extending out laterally through the sides of said flue below said plate. The plate, as shown, occupies the greater portion, transversely, of the interior of the casing B, there being an annular space around said plate at the outer edge, and preferably rests mainly on brackets h2 on the inside of the casin g B, although it may rest altogether on the burner, instead of partially thereon, as shown. Its arrangement secures that the heat which arises from the burner shall be deflected from its upward course and pass out through the radial periorations mentioned below the deflectingplate, thence to the edge a-nd up through the annular space, and thence through the perforations in the cover A, which forms a part of the floor of the vehicle, as above stated. Of course a portion of the heat will be radiated from the upper surface of said deflecting-plate, and this, together with the arrangement just described, secures a substantially even distribution of the heat throughout the entire upper portion of the chamber formed by the casing B, instead of, as would otherwise be the case, having said heat concentrated at a single point. This distribution of the heat is of much consequence, as the amount of heat generated, if allowed to rise directly from the burner, would heat the floor entirely too hot for comfort and would likely be the occasion of burning whatever came in contact therewith, even if the door A were itself, asIprefer, made of or lined with metal.

The flue and deileeting-plate may be held firmly into place by any desired means. I have shown spring-catches F secured to the sides of the casin g B by rivets f at points between the brackets b2 and engaging with the edges of said plate E, said. spring-catches bew ing bent to a wedgeshaped formation at the point of engagement, so as to press downwardly as well as sidewise on said plate.

The device as a whole is simple and inexpensive in construction, is perfectly safe in use, and, as will be readily understood, a great convenience and comfort to such persons as have occasion to drive in cold and inclement weather, particularly to physicians and others whose duties call them constantly from home.

IIavingthus fully described my said invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, in a heating device for vehicles, of a casing secured to the under side of the floor of the vehicle, a heater proper mounted in the lower portion oi' said casing and supported by a flange thereon on a flange on said casin g, and a two-part spring-bar hinged at one end to one side of said casing and adapted to engage at its other end with a catch on the opposite side of said casing, one of its parts passing on each side of the flue of said heater and formed to bear, when closed down, firmly upon the top thereof?, whereby said heater is firmly but removably held to its seat, substantially as set forth.

The combination in a heating device for vehicles, of a casing, a heater proper secured therein, a ilue extending upwardly from the burner of said heater, a detlecting-plate exf tending across and secured to the top of said flue, which is provided with periorations in its sides under said delecting-plate, and springcatches which engage with the detlectin gplate, whereby said fiue is firmly but removably held in place, substantially as set forth.

The combination, in a heating device for vehicles, of the outer casing secured to the under side of the floor oi' the vehicle, a perforated cover over the space inclosed by said casing, a lamp or heater proper mounted in the bottom of said casing, spring-catches whereby said lamp or heateris held firmly, a flue or chimney on said lamp or heater, a deilectingplate secured on the upper end of said ilue or chimney, which ilue or chimney has radial perforations below said def/lectingplate, supporting brackets on the interior surface of said casingfor said deflecting-plate, and spring-catches secured to said interior casing and engaging with and holding said delecting-plate onto said brackets, the whole being constructed, arranged and operating as and for the purpose set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal, at Indianapolis, Indiana, this 22d day oi' May, A. D. i895,

THOMAS Il. C. BEALL. lVitnesses:

CHESTER BRADFonD, .Linus A. lVilLsn.

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